Tyler Mason, a running back, is considered one of the best athletes to ever play for Mount Airy High School’s football team.

Mason became a member of the team during his first year of high school, which was the 2020-2021 season held in the spring due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Throughout his time on the team, he achieved 6,022 rushing yards and a total of 6,935 all-purpose yards. As he wrapped up his high school career, Mason’s 120 touchdowns ranked as the seventh highest among all players in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s history.

His touchdown efficiency defined his career. While Mason finished seventh all time in total touchdown, he landed outside the top 30 in career rushing yards all-time. Four of the running backs with more touchdowns than Mason all-time — T.A. McLendon of Albemarle, Kevin Parks of West Rowan, Elijah Hood of Charlotte Catholic, and Tommy Henry of Maiden — rushed for over 8,500 yards and had many more attempts. Mason scored touchdowns at a higher rate than each of those players, besides McLendon.

In October, over the course of three games, Mason scored 10 touchdowns in a row, marking the most successful season of his senior year.

Mason played a crucial role in leading Mount Airy to consecutive state championship wins in 2022 and 2023. Prior to this, the last time a 1A team had achieved back-to-back wins was back in 1989 and 1990 with Swain County. Mason was recognized as the MVP of the state championship in both their junior and senior years. These victories marked Mount Airy’s eighth and ninth state championship wins in their program’s history.

The Virginia Tech recruit concluded his time in high school with a 30-game undefeated streak.

Freshman Year (2020-2021)

In August 2020, Mason was officially enrolled as a student at Mount Airy.

Because of the worldwide spread of Covid-19 and its impact on public health, the N.C. High School Athletic Association chose to postpone the traditional fall sports season until spring of 2021. This led to a shortened regular season and playoffs in order to accommodate all three sports seasons within a similar time period.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, the Mount Airy School District was among the minority that held in-person classes. J.K. Adkins, the head football coach, stated that having the opportunity to have his talented 2024 class physically present and utilizing the weight room ultimately benefitted the Granite Bears in the long run.

Mason did not receive a carry until the fifth game of the abbreviated season. During a game against Bishop McGuinness High School on March 31, Mason made his debut with eight carries, gaining 102 yards and scoring two touchdowns. The next week, the Granite Bears faced off against rival East Surry and suffered a 17-10 loss, resulting in a second-place finish in the Northwest 1A Conference. Mason only had one carry in this game and ended up with a loss of three yards.

The Granite Bears were given the number 6 spot in the abbreviated 1AA West playoffs. This marked the end of sub-classification football playoffs. In the first round, Mount Airy visited Pine Lake Prep, who held the 3rd seed, and suffered a 33-27 loss. Mason made five attempts for 34 yards and scored a touchdown in the defeat. The season ended for Mount Airy with an overall record of 4 wins and 3 losses.

Sophomore Year (2021-2022)

After completing his first year, Mason’s running performance significantly improved during his second year. He managed to score a touchdown in each of the Granite Bears’ first six games of the season.

Following two games with 100 yards against North Surry and Draughn, Mason began achieving success in different areas. In the third week, Mason gained 41 receiving yards and was acknowledged with 48 punt return yards. In a game against South Stokes a few weeks later, Mason accumulated 100 punt return yards.

After three consecutive games with less than 100 rushing yards, Mason had a strong performance against Starmount, gaining 106 yards on the ground and scoring two touchdowns on only nine attempts. However, in week eight against North Stokes, Mason’s contributions were not as crucial as the Bears dominated with a 47-0 victory, and Tyler only carried the ball twice.

Mason’s best performance during his second year of high school football was in week nine against East Wilkes. Even though the game was on a Monday night and away from home, Mason managed to run for 193 yards and score four touchdowns on just 13 carries. Just four days later, he rushed for 121 yards against Elkin. In the final game of the regular season, Mason ended with 65 rushing yards and a touchdown against Alleghany.

Mount Airy ended the regular season with an impeccable record of 10 wins and 0 losses, securing the 2nd seed in the 1A West playoffs.

During the initial match against the 31-seed Union Academy, Mason successfully scored touchdowns on both of his two carries. One touchdown was achieved from a distance of 52 yards, while the other was a 14-yard run. The Granite Bears emerged victorious with a final score of 75-0. In a subsequent rematch against East Wilkes, Mason rushed for 96 yards but did not score any touchdowns in the 48-0 win. The third round saw Mount Airy facing off against a Northwest 1A Conference opponent once again. In their second encounter with Starmount, Mason proved to be a key player, rushing for 165 yards and scoring two touchdowns on eight carries. This led to a 44-7 victory for Mount Airy.

The Granite Bears’ 2021 campaign concluded at their home field against the 3-seed Mitchell, who ultimately fell to Tarboro in the 1A state title match. Mitchell triumphed over Mount Airy with a score of 21-14. During the game, Mason ran for 125 yards and scored a touchdown in 10 attempts. Mount Airy ended the season with an impressive record of 13-1.

In his second year, Mason accumulated 1,367 rushing yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns.

Junior Year (2022-2023)

Mason was recognized for his exceptional performance during his junior year and received a spot on HighSchoolOT’s 2022 All-State Football Team. This team includes players from all classifications in the state.

The productive runner began their impressive season with a 102-yard, two-touchdown game against North Surry on the road during the first week.

During the second week of the season, Mount Airy was defeated by East Surry in a close 14-12 game. Mason had a total of 18 rushing attempts, gaining 62 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

That defeat would end up being the final one in Mason’s professional life.

Mason’s initial achievement of rushing for 200 yards in a single game occurred on September 2nd against Surry Central. He managed to gain 209 yards and score five touchdowns, all on just 11 carries. Mason continued to impress with a 151-yard performance and two touchdowns against Ashe County. In the following week, he surpassed his previous record by rushing for 252 yards at home against East Wilkes. Mount Airy maintained their impressive streak by scoring a minimum of 51 points in each game during this three-game period.

Mason had a standout performance in Mount Airy’s 58-0 victory against South Stokes on September 23, recording three touchdowns and 70 rushing yards on just seven carries. This marked his third game of the season with over 200 rushing yards, as he dominated with 207 yards and three scores on 15 carries in week seven against Starmount at home. Despite limited opportunities in the following two games, Mason continued to make an impact with a total of five touchdowns and 124 rushing yards on just seven attempts. The team’s dominant wins against North Stokes and Elkin, with a combined score of 128-0, allowed Mason to rest and recover. He returned in full force for the final regular season game against Alleghany, contributing three touchdowns and 133 rushing yards on just seven carries in Mount Airy’s 55-0 victory.

The Granite Bears secured the 4th spot in the 2022 NCHSAA 1A West playoffs with a record of 9-1 during the regular season. In the opening round, Mount Airy dominated against 29th-seeded North Stokes with a score of 72-0. Mason only had one rushing attempt for 24 yards.

In the second round, Mason began a fierce offensive streak that continued throughout the rest of the playoffs, establishing himself as a First Team All-State player.

In the second round, Mason ran for 197 yards and scored four touchdowns against North Rowan. In round three, Mason had 137 yards and four touchdowns on only 10 carries against Hayesville. In the fourth round, when Mount Airy faced top-seeded Eastern Randolph, Mason gained 195 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns in a 35-17 win.

Mount Airy’s Granite Bears faced off against Draugh, the 6-seed team, in the 1A West regional final. During this championship game, Mason delivered a remarkable performance, rushing for a personal record of 297 yards and matching his career high of five touchdowns. These five impressive scores led Mount Airy to a dominant 35-6 victory over the Wildcats.

In the 2022 1A championship game, Mount Airy went up against Tarboro, who was the number one seed in the East. Mason had an exceptional game, rushing for more than 100 yards, a feat that is uncommon against Tarboro. The junior ended the game with 149 rushing yards and three touchdowns. With a final score of 20-7, Mount Airy emerged as the victor and Mason was named the game’s MVP for scoring all three of their touchdowns.

Mason finished the most successful season to date for a Mount Airy running back, tallying 2,309 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns. He also scored a total of 52 touchdowns.

Mason’s chances of being recruited increased greatly following his standout junior season. He received an offer from Appalachian State the Monday after his impressive 297-yard performance against Draugh in the regional final. Following his exceptional performance in the championship game, he was verbally offered a scholarship by Virginia Tech of the ACC for being the MVP.

Mason announced his commitment to the Hokies in April.

In May, HighSchoolOT observed Mount Airy’s spring ball practice while Mason was in his junior year. Mason shared that he was drawn to Virginia Tech due to their sincerity and attention even before his junior season. He disclosed that he participated in track to improve his speed and was able to increase his weight to 195 pounds.

Senior Year (2023-2024)

Mount Airy and Mason successfully defended their 2022 1A state championship with another state title win in 2023. The winning of back-to-back state championships was the one thing that had alluded the historic program.

Initially, the Granite Bears did not rely on Mason’s exceptional performances to secure victories. The season began with Mount Airy dominating North Surry 58-0, with Mason contributing 95 yards and two touchdowns. In the following week, the Granite Bears sought retribution against East Surry and achieved a 49-0 victory, aided by Mason’s 55 yards and one touchdown.

In week three, Mason achieved a milestone as a senior by gaining over 100 yards. He ran for 142 yards and scored three touchdowns against Surry Central. In week four, Mason faced difficulties against Ashe County but still managed to rush for 175 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts. However, in the following week, he fell short of reaching 100 yards with only 78 yards on five attempts in the Bears’ victory against North Stokes.

Starmount posed the biggest challenge to Mount Airy in the regular season. The Granite Bears faced off against their Northwest 1A foe on Sep. 22 and won 47-15. Mason had a season-high 152 yards and four touchdowns against the Rams. Following that performance, Mason produced a 107-yard, one-score performance on the road at East Wilkes in week seven.

After the 42-0 victory against East Wilkes, Mason’s incredible streak of scoring touchdowns began.

On October 6, Mason achieved four touchdowns on four carries during the Granite Bears’ dominant 77-0 victory against South Stokes. Following a break, Mason continued his impressive performance by scoring five touchdowns on five carries against Elkin. This marked a season-high of 200 yards on five carries at the time. On October 27, Mason secured his 10th consecutive touchdown on his first carry against Alleghany. However, the streak was halted when the Spartans prevented Mason from scoring on his second carry of the game.

In the game on October 6, Mount Airy’s team scored 77 points against South Stokes. During the game, Mason scored his 100th career touchdown, making him the first player in Granite Bear history to accomplish this feat.

He appeared on the HSOT Postgame Show to celebrate the accomplishment.

The last game of the regular season for the Granite Bears was against Alleghany. The final score was 53-0 in favor of Mount Airy. Mason had an impressive performance with 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just three carries.

The 1A West playoffs for NCHSAA saw the Granite Bears securing the 2nd seed, having finished the regular season with an impressive 10-0 record.

In the initial match, Mount Airy was in control against Union Academy with a 55-3 victory. Mason managed to score touchdowns on four of his eight carries. However, in the next round against Mitchell, Mason was unable to score for the first time in 18 games. Despite this, he still rushed for an impressive 149 yards.

Mason’s senior year reached its peak in the third round when they faced off against 10-seed Murphy. Despite only making 11 attempts, Mason impressively gained 262 yards and scored four touchdowns. The game resulted in a dominating 64-26 victory for Mount Airy.

Mason led the Granite Bears to a 42-28 victory over the Eastern Randolph Wildcats after being down by seven points at halftime. He contributed 177 yards and three touchdowns to the team’s total of 28 unanswered points.

In the 2023 season, Mount Airy faced their toughest challenge in the 1A West regional final against top-ranked Robbinsville, requiring a 250-mile trip. Despite only scoring one touchdown, Mason still ran for 188 yards under the Black Knights’ strong defense, helping secure a close 27-16 victory for the Granite Bears.

In order to achieve a repeat victory, the Granite Bears had to defeat Tarboro in the 2023 1A state championship once more. Mount Airy faced some setbacks in the first half, leading Tarboro to hold a 3-0 lead at halftime. However, in the second half, Mason scored the first touchdown of the game, securing a lead that Mount Airy maintained until the end. The final score of the championship game was 21-3 in favor of Mount Airy, and Mason was once again named MVP for his impressive performance of 133 rushing yards and a touchdown during the season.

When questioned about his consecutive state championship MVP wins, Mason showed no change in his demeanor.

Mason expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “It’s great. Being MVP is all well and good, but for me, winning was the top priority.” He also added that winning was more important to him than the MVP title in the post game press conference.

Mason finished his final season with a total of 2,213 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns in 16 games.

Mason intends to finish his studies ahead of time and join Virginia Tech during the Hokies’ spring semester. He will arrive early with his teammate, Deric Dandy, from Mount Airy.

Tyler Mason’s high school stats

During his four years at Mount Airy, Mason achieved a total of 6,022 rushing yards and 111 touchdowns. He also accumulated 6,935 all-purpose yards and 120 all-purpose touchdowns. On the defensive side, Mason recorded 93 tackles, four tackles for a loss, five sacks, and 15 pass breakups throughout his career.

During his senior year in 2023, he ran for a total of 2,213 yards and scored 39 touchdowns in 16 games, with an average of 13.0 yards per carry. He also made 31 tackles on defense and had one interception, which he brought back for a touchdown.

During his third year of high school in 2022, he ran for a total of 2,309 yards and scored 49 touchdowns in 16 games, with an average of 13.3 yards per carry. He also scored three touchdowns as a special teams returner. He was recognized for his contributions on defense with 42 tackles and three interceptions.

During my second year of college in the fall of 2021, I achieved 1,367 rushing yards and scored 20 touchdowns in 14 games with an average of 13.4 yards per carry. Additionally, I had one touchdown from a reception, one interception returned for a touchdown, and three punt returns for a touchdown.

In the Spring of 2021 during my first year of college, I ran for a total of 133 yards and scored three touchdowns in five games. On average, I gained 26.6 yards per carry.

Additional information about Tyler Mason’s time in high school

Source: highschoolot.com